Produce cleaning machine



May 12, 1964 c. c. :NGALLS PRODUCE CLEANING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March l2, 1965 May 12, 1964 c. c. INGALLS 3,132,365

PRODUCE CLEANING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 12, 1964 c. c. INGALLS PRODUCE CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March l2, 1963 United States Patent O PRODUCE CLEANING MACHINE Charles C. Ingalls, Rte. 1, Box `667, Ceres, Calif. Filed Mar. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 264,549 Claims. (Cl. 15-3.11)

This invention relates to an improved produce cleaning machine of the rotary cylinder or trommel type; the ma-y chine being especially designed, but not limited, for cleaning walnuts in bulk.

When walnuts are gathered in .bulk at `the time of harvest, as by a pick-up machine vworking. along the ground onto which the walnuts have been previously knocked from the trees, it is inevitable that a'certain amount of debris such as twigs, leaves, clods, and dust will remain with such walnuts. It is necessary that such debris be removed from the walnuts before they are sacked.

It is therefore the major object of this invention lto provide a machine which is operative, throughv the medium of a novel structure, to efficiently separate and remove all such debris from bulk walnuts; the machine being. portable so that it may be moved to a convenient point for. use and where the harvested bulk walnuts are available. Another important object of the invention is to provide the machine, on the trommel, with a novel walnut receiving cup assembly arranged to receive, elevate, and discharge Ithe walnuts free of a substantial portion ofthe debris; the walnuts, as discharged from the cup assembly, falling onto a conveyor which is disposedin and leads out of the trommel.

Still another object of the inventionV is to provide the i machine with a novel air blast arrangement which aids in the. cleaning operation.

An' additionalobject of the invention is to provide a machine, for the purpose described, which is constructed so that the bulk walnuts may be fed, as by shoveling, into one end of the machine at a relatively low level convenient to a worker standing on the ground; the walnuts, as cleaned, delivering from the other end of the machine at a higher level for ease of sacking. v

v A further object of the invention is to provide a produce cleaning machine which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

i A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable produce cleaning machine, and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings: i

FIG. l is a sectional elevation of the improved produce cleaning machine. v

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the machine taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse section taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. `l. y

' FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational View, taken internally of the trommel, and partly broken out, showing the eccentric relationship of vthe nut-receiving cups to the bores in the trommel wall and through which the nuts pass into and out of the cups. s

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional plan taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofy reference marked thereon, the machine comprises a chassis 1 of suitable construction, which is supported at its front end by a steerable wheel 2, and at itsrear end by transversely spaced wheels 3. Upstanding from the chassis 1 is a generally rectangular frame structure d which includes front and rear transversely spaced uprights 5 and 6, respectively; such uprights being connected at the top by cross beams 7, and by longitudinal side beams 8.

Disposed within the confines of this frame structure is a rotary elongated trommel indicated generally at 9, set horizontally, and the specific construction of which will be described later. The trommel at its ends is provided with surrounding channel shaped pulley forming bands 10 which receive and guide endless trommel supporting and drive belts 11. These belts, above and centrally of the trommel, arey engaged about supporting and drive pulleys 12 which are mounted on a longitudinally extending `drive shaft 13 journalledl adjacent its ends on the cross beams 7 as at 14. Y

The shaft 13 is driven adjacent its forward end from an internal combustionengine 15 suitably mounted on the adjacent portion of the lframe structure 4 to one side of said shaft 13; the drive connection betweenthe engine' and said shaft 13 being preferably in the form of a. belt drive unit 16 of conventional form. As is clearly seen, the drive pulleys 12 are much smaller in diameter than the pulley forming bands 10 of the trommel, so that the latter will rotate at a relatively'slow speed.

In order to prevent lateralor longitudinal swaying of the belt-supported trommel, the belts 11 are engaged at the sides of the trommel and midway of the height'thereof, by flanged rollers 17 mounted on the corresponding frame uprights 5 and 6. The pulley forming bands 10 are engaged on their opposed faces, and midway of the height of the trommel, by other vertical-axis rollers, one of which is shown at 18 in FIG. 6, and which rollers are supported by brackets 19 secured to the adjacent uprights.

The trommel 9'is constructed as follows: The forward and longest portion 20 of the trommel is of the squirrel-cage or open-Work type, and comprising longitudinal rods 21, preferably of cylindrical form, and spaced apart a distance less than the width of any nut N being fed into the trommel. The rear and shorter portion 22 of the trommel comprises a solid cylindrical wall 23 onto which the rods 21 deliver without'any lift or drop.

Disposed and secured in the trommel and extending for the full length thereof is a spiral rib 24 disposed relative to the direction of rotation of the trommel to advance nuts therein from the front to the rear end thereof.

The Wall 23, which is actually a plate, is formed with a number of rows of somewhat closely spaced circular openings 25 of somewhat greater diameter than the di'- mensions of any nut N. The various rows of openings 25 are arranged so as to be parallel to the spiral rib 24, whichin turn is arranged so that it does not cross any of said openings, as shown in FIG. l.

Behind each opening 25, or outwardly of the wall A23, a nut-receiving cup 26 is secured to the wall 23 in communication with such opening, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each such cup, while being of somewhat greater diameter than the related opening, is offset circumferentially of the trommel, so as to be eccentric to said opening in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the trommel, whereby to leave a lip 27 extending part` way about the trailing side of the cup as shown. The purpose of such lip will be described later. i

Extending lengthwise in the rear portion 22 of the trommel centrally and some distance below the top thereof is an endless belt type, nut-receiving conveyor 28, the upper run of which is horizontal. This conveyor, which projects for a short distance beyond the rear end of the trommel, includes end rollers 29, which are supported from beams 30 which are rigid With the end portions of the frame structurefi. Side boards 28a project upwardly from the beams 3d intdiverging relation to the conveyor 28, so as to increase ,the effective receiving area thereof.

Patented May 12, 1964 aleases The rearmost roller 29 is driven from the adjacent end of shaft 13 by a suitable belt drive arrangement as shown at 31. The conveyor is of course driven so as to discharge from its rear end, and supported from the frame structure 4 a short distance below the conveyor 2S in position to receive from said rear end thereof is a sack hanger 32 adapted to detachably support a sack 33 for the nuts discharged from the conveyor.

At its forward end, the lower portion of the trommel 9 is closed by a plate 34, secured in connection with the adjacent frame uprights 5, and provided at the top with a nut receiving chute or hopper 35, disposed mainly to one side of the vertical center of the trommel, and at a height from the ground 4such that nuts may be conveniently fed into the trommel by a worker standing on the ground.

Fixed in connection with the plate 34 on the side vof the trommel opposite the hopper 35 is a cylindricalfhousing 36, disposed parallel `to the Vtrommel but in front and clear of the same; the diameter of the housing being such that it projects outwardly somewhat from the adjacent side of the trommel, as shown in FIG. 2. A fan 37 is `disposed in the housing 36, being supported from a diagonal bar or beam 38 extending between the adjacent upright and the chassis 1. The fan is driven from the engine by a belt 39.

Rigid with and projecting rearwardly from the housing 36, which is open-ended, is a plurality of short abutting air tubes 40. In connection with these tubes, it will be noted from FIG. 2, that a number thereof appear to intersect or interfere with the peripheral elements of the trommel. Actually, however, these particular tubes are cut away circumferentially for the extent necessary for them to avoid and clear said trommel elements.

The tube assembly includes a relatively large elongated tube41, preferably disposed at the laterally `innermost side of the housing, and which tube 41 extends the full length of the trommel within the same to a termination between the conveyor 28 at the rear end thereof and the sack hanger 32 adjacent but clear of its front side, as shown in FIG. 1.

In operation, with the engine 15 running, and the trommel 9, the fan 37, and the conveyor 28 being consequently driven, the bulk nuts, together with any mixed-in debris,lsuch as leaves, twigs, clods and the like that may be mingled therewith, are fed by means of hopper into the forward end of the rotating trommel.

The nuts are then engaged and advanced by the spiral rib 24 until they reach and enter the rear portion 22 of the trommel. Such Ynuts thence fall thrugh'some of the various openings 2S, as the latter pass under the nuts with the rotation of the trommel, and into the related cups 26. As the trommel continues to turn,.the nuts in the cups on the rising side of the trommel rest on the lower sides of the respective cups, and thus in part move behind the lips 27 of the corresponding cups as shown in FIG. 4. The nuts are therefore retained in the cups until the latter approach their topmost position in the trommel whereupon the nuts then fall by gravity from the cups, and are received on the conveyor 28; such conveyor advancing the nuts out of the trommel and delivering them into the sack 33.

In the meantime, any relatively heavy piece of `debris which may be originally mixed with the nuts either drops to the ground between the rods 21 of the trommel, or if of a larger size than the cups, is advanced by the spiral rib 24 and is pushed out of the rear end of the trommel.

At the same time, the blast of air generated by the fan 37 travels lengthwise of the trommel from front to rear thereof, forcing any light debris either between the rods 21 at one point or another in the length thereof, or discharging such light debris from the rear end of the trommel, without of course disturbing the relatively heavy nuts themselves. The purpose of the tubes 40 is to break up the spiralling or whirlwind action of the air blast which would otherwise occur.

A certain amount of the air blast passes through the long tube 41, which blows the air directly across the path of the nuts dropping from the conveyor 28 into the sack 33 and thus provides a final cleaning action.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specication sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of `the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the `appended claims.

Having thus described .the invention, the following is claimed as new and `useful and upon which Letters Patent isidesired:

l. A nut 'cleaning machine including a driven trommel arranged to receive and advance nuts from the front to the rear end thereof, a longitudinal conveyor mounted in the trommel a predetermined distance below the `top thereof and extending out from the rear end of the trommel for discharge, means associated with the trommel operative to elevate nuts from the bottom of said trommel to a gravitational discharge point above the conveyor whereby the elevated nuts will fall onto the conveyor to be subsequently discharged downwardly from the rear end thereof, and means discharging a rearwardly directed blastof air directly below the rear end of the conveyor; said last named means including a blast-confining tube terminating at its rear end immediately adjacent the vertical plane of the rear end of the conveyor.

2. A nut cleaning machine including a driven tromvmel arranged lto receive and advance nuts from the front tothe rear end thereof, -a longitudinal conveyor mounted in the trommel a predetermined distance below the top thereof and extending out from the rear end of the trom- `-rnel -for discharge, means associated with the trommel operative 4to elevate nuts from the bottom of said .trommel T4to a gravitational discharge point above the conveyor whereby the elevated nuts will fall onto the conveyor to be subsequently discharged downwardly from the rear end thereof, a driven fan in front of the trommel in position to direct a blast of air rearwardly through said trommel from the forward end thereof, a cylindrical openended housing in which the fan is disposed, and a plurality of open-ended tubes mounted on the housing and projecting rearwardly into the trommel from the rear endof said housing, the tubes being relatively short.

3. A cleaner, as in claim 2, with another tube, separate from the iirst named tubes, extending from the housing for the full length of the trommel to a termination under and adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor.

4. A nut cleaning machine including a driven trommel arranged *to receive and advance nuts from the front to the rear end thereof, a longitudinal conveyor mounted in the trommelV a predetermined distance below the top thereof and extending out from the rear end of the trommel for discharge, and means associated with the trommel operative to elevate nuts from the bottom of said trommel to a gravitational discharge point above the conveyor whereby the elevatednuts will fall onto the conveyor to be subsequently discharged downwardly from the rear end thereof; such means including a multiplicity of cups, each of a size to contain a single nut, open to the interior of lthe trommel in nut receiving relation, and a lip overlying the trailing portion of each cup at the cup opening'.

5. A nut cleaning machine including a driven trommel arranged to receive and advance nuts from the front -to the rear end thereof, a longitudinal conveyor mounted in the trommel a predetermined distance below the top 'thereof and extending out from the rear end of the tromu mel for discharge, and means associated lwith the trommel loperative to elevate nuts from lthe bottom of said -trommel to a `gravitational discharge point above the conveyor whereby the elevated nuts will fall onto the conveyor Ito be subsequently discharged downwardly from the rear end thereof; the trommel including a circumferential plate in the zone of the conveyor, and said last named means comprising a multiplicity of cups, each of a size to contain a single nut, mounted on the outside of the plate, the cups opening inwardly and the plate having openings with which the cups register; the cups yand openings being dirnensioned and relatively disposed whereby a portion or" the plate forms a lip overlying the trailing portion of each cup.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Devane et al. 1 Aug. 14, Schesser June 3, Sample Apr. 26, Wheeler Apr. 21, Nelson Ian. 29,

FOREIGN PATENTS Netherlands May 17, Australia July 29, Sweden Apr. 22, Austria july 11, Great Britain July ,12, 

1. A NUT CLEANING MACHINE INCLUDING A DRIVEN TROMMEL ARRANGED TO RECEIVE AND ADVANCE NUTS FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR END THEREOF, A LONGITUDINAL CONVEYOR MOUNTED IN THE TROMMEL A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BELOW THE TOP THEREOF AND EXTENDING OUT FROM THE REAR END OF THE TROMMEL FOR DISCHARGE, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROMMEL OPERATIVE TO ELEVATE NUTS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TROMMEL TO A GRAVITATIONAL DISCHARGE POINT ABOVE THE CONVEYOR WHEREBY THE ELEVATED NUTS WILL FALL ONTO THE CONVEYOR TO BE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCHARGED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REAR END THEREOF, AND MEANS DISCHARGING A REARWARDLY DIRECTED BLAST OF AIR DIRECTLY BELOW THE REAR END OF THE CONVEYOR; SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING A BLAST-CONFINING TUBE TERMINATING AT ITS REAR END IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE REAR END OF THE CONVEYOR. 